Chelsea vice-captain Jorginho has confirmed that Arsenal had been eager to snap him up in the summer transfer window.
In an interview with ESPN Brazil, as quoted by Goal, Jorginho has confirmed that Arsenal were interested in signing him in the summer transfer window. The Italian international even admitted that he was open to negotiations over a cross-London switch but is now fully committed to Chelsea.
Jorginho joined Chelsea from Napoli in the summer of 2018, moving to Stamford Bridge along with Maurizio Sarri. The start to life in west London, though, was a difficult one for the 28-year-old, who was slow to settle in at the club. That all changed last season, with Frank Lampard’s arrival and subsequent tactics galvanizing him.
Jorginho, though, ended 2019/20 with a shroud of uncertainty over him, after battling for minutes following the resumption of football in England in June. It was then mooted that he was set for a return to Italy. As the summer transfer window approached its end, Arsenal started to get linked with the Chelsea vice-captain as well.
Arsenal’s need to bolster midfield in the summer was rather obvious. Despite signing Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid for a second summer running, it was clear that Mikel Arteta was sorely lacking quality options in midfield beyond his compatriot and Granit Xhaka.
As a result, the Gunners chased Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey all summer before securing the services of the latter. However, for a long time, it looked like Arsenal might not sign any midfielder apart from Ceballos, which explained the interest in Jorginho, even though a switch for Chelsea appeared to be unlikely.
Now, the player himself has confirmed that Arsenal had indeed been showing an interest in him. In an interview with ESPN Brazil (h/t Goal), the Chelsea vice-captain said, “I believe that every player is open to negotiations.”
“So I believe there was something they [Arsenal] talked about. And in the end it was decided that I remain here. Now my head is here and we’re going to do a great job with Chelsea, which I always wanted to do.”
As was widely reported, Jorginho had indeed been open to leaving Chelsea. But, with a move to Arsenal collapsing, the 28-year-old insists he is committed for Chelsea, which reflects in his performances so far this season, in all fairness. With Arsenal also signing Partey, it looks like all parties involved are satisfied despite the move failing to materialise.
